Orlando Brown Jr. reported to camp this past week, after holding out training camp due to an unreached deal with the Chiefs. This season he will play under the franchise tag, and as I said in one of my previous articles, he will have something to prove. He's a great player, that is understood, but is he worth the possible payday the Chiefs will have to give him? Brown has stated he loves Kansas City and he wants to stay, but his actions make me skeptical, frankly speaking.
When you hold out on training camp, that's one thing. When you actively hire an agent, deny a deal that, at least in my opinion, more than compensates you for your play, and are at odds with the front office that has seen Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu, and Charvarius Ward walk over basically the same thing, you play with fire in regard to your organization's trust. Yes, Brett Veach and Orlando Brown Jr. were seen fraternizing and being buddy buddy his first day back, but frankly speaking that means nothing in the business of sport. Longtime rivals can be friends until it's time to play hardball off or on the field, especially in regards to deal making and money. Not only that, but all those good things Brown has said about Patrick Mahomes are taken in a more vain light now that Brown has made his intentions known. Professional sports is more or less all about money, however another large part of an organization is the trust between players, coaches, and the front office. It's a team with a common goal, and if you're not there, present, and flexible to help reach said common goal, chemistry, your reputation, and your relationships are tested. Look at what happened with Tyreek Hill, a city and organization that loved him now has turned on him because of the things he said and did during contract talks and signing over to the Dolphins. If Brown does not want to have the same thing happen with him (Let it be known that death threats and irrational actions such as that are not condoned and are in fact, discouraged) and means the words he says, he needs to back it up with action. Pay the man his due, but if he asks for too much and his actions show that he values money over reputation, then that reflects his character and will reflect in terms of other teams potentially signing him as well. The damage control Tyreek had to do, Brown would have to do as well. Let it be known also that I expect a deal to get done, Brown has expressed his regret for what he said and did in the process of contract talks and says he's here to win. I still trust him, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about those actions and what he'll have to do to remedy them in order to get his just due next year.
Burn Notice: 8/10 I can't imagine training camp in this heat, y'all.
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